Runaway
by Melissa Black13
Summary: Part 7 of the Romy Chronicles. Remy thinks about what he's done and forms a plan. Takes place during Ascension.


**Disclaimer:** The characters and plotlines of X-Men Evolution unfortunately don't belong to moi. Also, this idea of chronicling certain events in a characters' life doesn't belong to me either. Full credit goes to Deandra who writes awesome Lord of the Rings stories. I got this idea from her and I suggest you go read her stuff.

**Summary: **Remy makes a stop and forms a plan. Takes place during Ascension.

The Romy Chronicles

Part 7: Runaway

_Dis_ _is not good. Dis is really not good…_

The rain pelted down on Remy's back relentlessly, soaking his rented tuxedo. He knew he had to stop and change somewhere. A man clad in a tuxedo riding a Harley during a rain storm was a bit unusual. It would be a dead-giveaway to whoever was coming after him. Remy knew he couldn't stop now though. Better to put some distance between him and his pursuers before he got comfy.

With only the open road as his companion, Remy was forced to be alone with his thoughts. He hadn't meant to do this. It hadn't been in the "cards" so to speak. Up until about 5 minutes before he was due up at the altar, he had had no serious qualms about marrying Belladonna. Sure, it was fun to entertain the notion of skipping town once or twice but he never in a million years thought he'd actually _do_ it. Nevertheless, here he was speeding west on the interstate out of New Orleans as if the devil himself was chasing after him; which wasn't far from the truth when Remy thought about what the Assassins most likely had in store for him. Not to mention his own family. He could just imagine the murderous expression that would appear on Jean's Luc's face when he discovered Remy was gone.

Though his crimson eyes were intently focused on the stretch of highway before him, Remy pictured the repercussions of his actions in his mind's eye. Undoubtedly, there would be a fight; the two guilds could never tolerate breathing the same air as the other for every long. Eventually, the two guild leaders, though the two hated each other as much as anyone, maybe more, would call for order before starting to argue between themselves. Not much would be accomplished in the end, and the two families would walk away angry, both wanting Remy's head on a platter; the Assassins wanting it literally.

Quite honestly, Remy couldn't blame them. Both he and Belladonna had known that one day they would tie the knot. It was an arrangement that had been made when they were young. Neither of them was set to inherit the leaderships of their guilds; those fell to Julien and Henri respectively. It seemed like the perfect plan. The two guilds, the Thieves and Assassins, had so much bad blood between them, only the combination of both's blood through marriage could form some sort of truce. At least, that was how the Guild Elders had seen it.

For a long time, Remy had agreed with them, even going so far as to dating Belladonna to make the transition easier for both of them. Over the years however, Remy's feelings for the girl had changed from adoration, to toleration, to irritation. Belladonna had become both needy and possessive, and for a 19 year old with two wandering eyes, her attentions were stifling. Before leaving to join Magneto, Remy had broken things off with her, hoping that she held no hard feelings for him.

Unfortunately, he had returned to find her only slightly more welcoming than her brother. A slap to the face and a gun to his head had been her idea of a "welcome home". Remy had taken it all in stride though and had turned on the charm immediately. Bella had seen right through his act of course, but had fallen right back into his arms once again. She was a slippery as she ever was though, somehow convincing her father to talk to Jean-Luc about Remy and her getting married as soon as possible. His father had agreed, despite Remy's many protests, and the rest was history.

Jean-Luc had been one of the main reasons Remy had left. Right before he had been set to leave the room assigned to the groom to go to the altar, his father had come in…

Flashback

Remy glanced up from his study of the ring he would slip on Belladonna's finger soon. His father's reflection smirked at him from the mirror he was standing in front of. Remy narrowed his dark eyes at him, but Jean-Luc only laughed at his attempt at intimidation.

"Now, now, Remy, what's dat look f'r?" he asked. Remy turned away from him, snapping closed the ring box, and slipping it into his tuxedo jacket.

"Y' know what it's f'r. Don' act like y' don'," Remy told him, easing into a chair and looking up at his father crossly. "I don' wanna do dis."

Jean-Luc gave a little snort. "Well…S' not like h' have much of a choice now, do y'?"

Remy said nothing in return, choosing only to glare at him, which only served to make Jean-Luc more amused.

"Dis is what y' were born t' do, Remy," he said, a bit more seriously. "Y're unitin' de guilds. What could be more important den dat?"

"What about what I want, _pére_?" Remy burst out, standing abruptly. "S' m' life. Don' I get a say?"

"Oh, stop bein' selfish, Remy. Y' sound like a whiny teenager," Jean-Luc said, effectively shutting Remy up. "All y' care about is y'rself. Dis is y'r family. Y're gonna do what's right and dat's gonna be de end of it," he warned him, daring Remy to disagree. Remy just looked at him in disbelief, which Jean-Luc ignored. "Now, I came in here t' tell y' dat de ceremony's about t' start." He started heading towards the door before looked back at Remy who hadn't moved. "Y' comin' or what, boy?"

A plan had begun to form in Remy's head. "Remy'll be along in a second, pére," he said, adopting a placating tone. He forced a grin. "Gotta make sure he looks good f'r his blushin' bride, _non_?"

Luckily for Remy, his father seemed to buy his act. He exited the room, leaving Remy alone with his thoughts, which were close to boiling over with anger. How dare Jean-Luc suggest that he only cared for himself! He'd spent most of his life bending and stooping to please his adopted father and the guild. Well, no more, Remy thought, springing into motion. He wasn't marrying Belladonna. Screw the Guild and Jean-Luc! Remy would be damned if he let him run his life or use him to achieve his own means again.

Quickly, Remy tried the window to the room and discovered it was unlocked. He opened it and was about to jump out onto the ground which he remembered something. He took the ring box containing Belladonna's ring out and set it on the table next to the window. With one last look around he pushed himself out. He fell into a crouch on the ground, taking in the deserted alleyway next to the church. Then, he started running.

End flashback

Remy had made it back to his department in record time, probably before anyone had realized he was missing. By the time he had collected an assortment of essentials (i.e. clean clothes, bo staff, trench coat, several packs of cards, etc.) he was sure only about 15 minutes had passed. Hopefully, they hadn't noticed he was gone yet. He was out of New Orleans before anyone could say 'runaway groom'.

Now, all Remy had to do was form a plan of action. He needed to get to a safe place, somewhere the Assassins wouldn't think to look. Remy thought of different contacts he had around the world, but couldn't come up with anyone he could really trust.

A light on his bike suddenly went on, catching his attention. His baby was in need of gas. As much he was loathe to stop, he figured he wouldn't get very far on an empty tank. Luckily, a rest stop complete with a gas station appeared less than five minutes down the highway and Remy steered his motorcycle into a spot in front of one of the pumps. Shutting off his bike and pulling off his helmet, he glanced around. There wasn't a vehicle in sight up or down the stormy highway. He swung a leg off his bike and grabbed his bag. While he was inside it would probably be as good a time as any to change. A bell tinkled above him as he pushed open the door. The store was empty except for a middle-aged cashier whose eyes were glued to a TV behind the counter. Despite his anxiousness to get going again, Remy couldn't help but overhear what the news anchor was saying.

"—has just been confirmed that the mutant called Apocalypse has been defeated by several teenage mutants," the man was saying. "We have received these exclusive pictures from the scene.

Several shots of the X-Men appeared on the screen and Remy was surprised to see Colossus and the Brotherhood boys fighting alongside them. His eyes went wide when a picture of Rogue popped onto the screen. She was in a helicopter with another X-Man whose name Remy didn't now. He expression was focused and determined and for the 2nd time that day Remy wished he could be there fighting alongside her.

"No casualties have been reported as of yet," the new anchor continued. "Stay tuned for more updates of the defeat of Apocalypse."

The broadcast moved on to the weather and the cashier turned to Remy. "Ain't that somethin'? Those mutants are downright fascinatin' if ya ask me," the man said. He did a double take at the sight of Remy in his wet tux and Remy was glad that he had thought to slip on his sunglasses before entering the store, or his red and black eyes would have given the man a close encounter. "Now, what can Ah do ya for?" he asked, giving him a curious look.

"$40 on pump number 2, _sil'vous plait_," Remy told him, slipping his two crumped $20 dollar bills. "Y' got a place where I can change?" he asked the man.

"Restroom's 'round the corner," he answered, punching some numbers into his console. "Help yahself."

"T'anks, _homme_."

While changing out of his drenched tuxedo, Remy's thoughts turned to Rogue and the X-Men. They had done the impossible it seemed. Apocalypse had been defeated and while he was sure some of them were sporting some injuries, he felt certain that they'd all come out of it alright. The X-Men looked after their own, that much Remy knew…

Suddenly, it was like a light went on in Remy's head. The solution to all of Remy's problems presented itself. He would join the X-Men! It was the perfect plan. He would charm his way into all their hearts, fight alongside them, earn their trust, and if the Assassin's or anyone else came looking for him, they wouldn't hesitate to defend him. Free room and board at the Xavier Mansion would be an added bonus. Come to think, having the pleasure of seeing his _chére_ everyday would be like the icing on the proverbial cake. The plan was foolproof.

Grinning with self-satisfaction, Remy exited the bathroom, leaving his tux in a pile of the floor. He couldn't go to the X-Men right away, he knew. First he'd keep riding west, maybe plan a heist or two on the way, make the Assassin's think they had him cornered. Then he'd switch directions and head north. Before the Assassins even realized that they'd lost his trail, he'd be living it up at the X-Mansion.

_Remy LeBeau, y're one smart, _homme he thought smugly to himself, as he left the store. He quickly filled his bike with gas, becoming more away that he couldn't linger here for much longer. His family and Belladonna's would be other there looking for him and he didn't think either of them would be very forgiving. From here on out he had to lie low, not draw attention to himself, especially in public places. He almost wished he had those brown-eyes contacts that Magneto had once given him. It would be a little easier to blend in if he had those. But, he had made do without them in the past and that's exactly what he'd do now.

Remy hopped on his bike and stuck his key into the ignition. He revved his engine familiarly, loving the hum of the vehicle beneath him. He realized sadly that he'd have to trade his bike in for another form of transportation soon. His license plate was too easily tracked. For purely sentimental reasons, Remy dreaded having to give up his bike. He'd had this particular one for almost 5 years now, having bought it with the money he'd earned from his first major heist. Remy sighed resignedly, lifting his helmet onto his head. Maybe it was high time he rid himself of his last connection to the Guild.

Even if that was true though, he wasn't about to let it stop him from enjoying this last ride on this bike. Remy took one last look around the empty gas station before pulling his bike out into the rain. He revved the engine once again before speeding off down the highway. A minute later he was but a speck in the distance.

* * *

A/N: Wow, wowww! Thank you all sooooo much for all the reviews!! It made me so happy to get them! I even got 1 today which is just awesome! I'm sorry that it's been so long since I last posted. What's it been 2, 3 weeks? Soooo sorry! I was stressed out with picking a college and then I totally had to scrap what I had planned at the next part and write this one. I'm going in a different direction then I thought I was going to. But whatever right? I hope you all liked this chapter, I'm not particularly fond of it but it should make you all happy that Remy did not go through with the wedding! Lol. Anyways, please review! Tell me what you liked, disliked, think I should change. Thanks!l

Melissa


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